I think Bob has touched on this in a couple of other threads. And some of the articles, blogs you read raise questions.

People who go travelling with no money at all. Cadging accommodation or lifts from chance-met strangers. Funny how people are so generous to them while there are people in real need who are unseen and ignored.

The Guardian journalist who decided to only spend on essentials for a year - to the extent of not going with friends to anything that cost, accepting dinner invites but offering to wash up instead of her usual gift of a bottle of wine. https://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/ ... hier-wiser. (To be fair, she was planning to reciprocate once the year was over, and her friends knew why she was doing it).Some of the comments on that article asked 'what would happen to the economy if everyone did that'.Others replied 'what are we doing to the planet, living the way we are'

For some people frugal is a life-long habit, mine is so ingrained that I have to teach myself where to spend more. Cheap food comes at the expense of animal welfare. Don't have so much problem with cheap clothes at the expense of workers, since I rarely buy new except underwear (and elastic to repair and extend its life).

Maybe for some a frugal month or year is useful to reset habits, or pay off debts. As long as the debts don't creep back like the weight after a crash diet.

Frugal / penny-pinching / sensible / mean / environmental /ethical.

Not really sure what I am wittering on about here - maybe you can sort it out

For me it is to pay off debts and get myself into a position where I'll be able to afford to retire when I need to BUT it also goes a lot deeper than that. I'm uncomfortable with my previous spend spend spend lifestyle and the stupidity of buying stuff on credit cards. I feel that I fell into that life almost by accident - I never had a great salary when I was younger, being a single parent plus my own parents always used credit cards. I didn't really think about what I was doing and feel I've woken up now.

It's sad that our economy is propped up by consumer debt to the extent I read about recently. Not going to be me anymore.

Yep that should get a good debate going .My view is that one should be comfortable with what you do .

Example .Relative ... Does not pay for coffees , gets his wife to pay everything , Pleads a meagre pension , THEN goes on 5 holidays a year .Now I say that is a pea take.Everything I have I got , working , 12 hours a shift 7 shifts a week ,x amount of weeks a year . Hard work through to a more comfortable position .I then see people who have done little get all the need with out lifting a finger . More children than I could stand . Which I am paying indirectly .I am all for NHS and Benefits for Sick and needy . But the expense of it is taking its toll. 700 people on the street s tonights news are not uk born .Lots other topics to go through but must do some work , be back.Bob

Credit card companies have a lot to answer for! I use mine all the time for convenience (and cash back) but it's paid off every month and I wouldn't dream of using it if I didn't have the money to cover the bill. I'm getting letters all the time though asking if I want my credit limit increased and I know that some people will take advantage of this. I don't know if they teach how to look after your money in schools but if they don't they should or we'll end up with another generation in debt following what their parents do It's all down to education at the end of the day!

Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy and Daisy and my lovely new boy Toby and now new girls Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Honey and Lily

Hi , It is more than that now . children see , think that you can go to a hole in a wall and produce money or go shopping and money is exchanged . Plastic .People see older generation with things and cannot see why they should not have them .Children or should I say 20 year olds do not want to leave the warmth of a nest with all the trimmings ,not necessarily free as they can and do pay rent etc . to go to wood worm floors and card board box for chairs and no tele .They have not seen the two jobs each their parents have done to get it .It is a mind set and if it changes to a American system of look after yourself there would be riot.I have been fortunate that have not been to war or had hard times of looking for work , not lucky as I chose what I did . Went with out holidays like the friends I had 18-30 clubs etc. Bob

My Grandparents weren't poor, but if you mentioned the word frugal to them they wouldn't know what you were talking about.As Mo indicates, it's something which is natural especially to those who were around before Credit and long distance travel.The longest distance some travelled was to fight a war.

I wrote a lot about frugality and so on, but as time has gone on I find that frugal maybe just another word for sensible.I don't think frugality is a skill, in some ways I think it's a fashion.

Most frugality is, like I said in the Camera thread, saving on one thing to pay for another. What that other thing is, is personal to that person.Take away that other thing you're saving money to support - is that frugality?Not really, it's sensible.

Saying all that, there is an urgent need for many younger people to understand money, what it brings and what it doesn't.

All to often, it's down to 'Bank of Mum and Dad'

Richard

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I think sensible is a good word for it. I think younger folk want everything now and use credit to get it. I have a granddaughter who bought a new build house, an expensive car, planned a big wedding with her partner, fell out before the wedding but decided to go through with it anyway because "I want my big day". Of course it all fell to bits and now they are separating after only 5 months, With all the debt to be sorted out. They seem to have no sense at all, and my other grandkids are the same. They watch tv and think it's real, it's how you behave, how you live your life.I've never had a credit card, don't even use my debit card in shops, only online. Use cash for everything and keep money in the house, not the bank. Sometimes I feel like a dinosaur lol, but to me it's not frugal at all its sensible. If I spend it then I will no longer have it - and I might need it, so it makes sense to me to always have some of it handy

I don't think frugality is a skill, in some ways I think it's a fashion.

I agree Richard, and generally for those who really can afford a few luxuries anyway. I also agree that one can be frugal in one area to splash out on a special treat. People who are genuinely penniless, don't have the luxury of considering themselves frugal.

mardatha wrote:I've never had a credit card, don't even use my debit card in shops, only online

it has always been recommended to use a credit card for maximum protection against money theft online rather than use a debit card .... If you pay the credit card off straight away, then you won't get charged interest and have peace of mind that your bank account hasn't been raided.

p.penn wrote:I also agree that one can be frugal in one area to splash out on a special treat.

when I did home economics in school, I think we called this budgeting your household expenditure LOL

p.penn wrote:People who are genuinely penniless, don't have the luxury of considering themselves frugal.

Hi . This is a thoughtful moment . I read this and made me think .Pilgrims used to walk along the road to a destination and beating themselves up and bare footed . Rich people live in the ivory towers or should I say Trump and cannot see what is going on below.Now Just because one has wealth does not make one rich and same for poor does not make them poorer.State of mind and what you choose to live with.I certainly not going to feel guilty of earning a wage packet when somebody else has not got a job .I can say I have been from bottom to top and back down again and rising again from the ashes.Money does not buy true love ,trust and peace of mind . Helps to get over it for sure.So appreciating the world is full of have`s and have not`s , all I can do is help those that I can , not feeling guilty about those I cannot and get on with my life and face the judge on judgement day .I know my place in life as life has told me so many times .like my bike riding LAST.Bob